U.S. ROTARY GROUP SATISFY WITH SITUATION IN NIGERIA

By Gabriel Omonhinmin

A six member Study Group from the United States of America who are on Cultural and Educational exchange programme to Lagos and Ogun State in South West Nigeria have expressed satisfaction with the general situation in the country.

The group led by Mrs. Susan Cole of Rotary District 5130 of the United States of America said contrary to the fear and erroneous impression about security fears in Nigeria, their experience since arrival in the country in the past two weeks has proved to be the contrary.

 The group made up of a senior Rotarian and other young men and women in their early thirties and mid-forties who are non Rotarians

are professionals, with diverse background from the United States of America. They have promised to do their best to project the exact situation in the country, in its true perspective when they return back to the U.S.

The Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Mallam Abubakar Jijiwa, who briefed the visitors about the mandate of Voice of Nigeria, educated the visitors on the challenges before Nigeria as a Nation.

The Biggest Challenge in Nigeria

Mallam Jijiwa said, “It is very easy for me to say that the biggest challenge we have in Nigeria, is the issue of energy (power) that would be my immediate responses. But on a more holistic note, the problem of Nigeria is that of past leadership, because it is leadership that make and un-make things”.

 If we have had a consistently focused leadership I am sure things would not be what they are now. We have had what I can call flashes of inspiration in various times of our chequered history. But we have not had that kind of drive, that kind of focus that can move things and get Nigeria to the next level. After nearly 50 years of our independence we should not be blaming our colonial history for things that are not going well, we have pasted that sage. Let us take the issue of power for instance; so much resource has been put into the power sector in the past years, but with little results. Without power nothing can really work”.

Mr. Susan Cole the group study exchange team leader said the exchange programme has been around since the 1960.  The programme is a cultural, education and a vocational exchange between District 9110 in Nigeria, and District 5130 in the U.S. A corresponding team made of Nigerians, are also in the United States for a similar visit.

Nigerians she said a very generous in spirit, and warm, the problem is that my group has been trying to digest the huge city atmosphere we see in Lagos.

Cov/G.O.